


Yellow Post-it Notes (Arthur)

by rubberglue



Series: Yellow Post-it Notes [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-08
Updated: 2012-01-08
Packaged: 2017-10-29 04:57:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/316067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubberglue/pseuds/rubberglue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the uncreative title suggests, this is a companion to Yellow Post-It Notes. It might be better to have read that first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yellow Post-it Notes (Arthur)

He knows he’s seen her before but he cannot place where. She’s not like the women he usually meets at his usual social events. She’s not like the women he usually beds. But there’s something about her - an innocence, an honesty that he finds himself drawn too.

They chat a little and he’s not sure how it happens but he’s in her bed, reveling in her scent, in her writhing under him and the gasps and moans coming from her lips.

It’s the best night of his life and for once, he stays the night. Unfortunately, he needs to be at an important interview early the next morning and casting his eye around, he sees a stack of yellow post-its on her bedside table. He scribbles a note, places it on her pillow, presses a kiss on her forehead and leaves regretfully.

He finds out why she’s so familiar the next day. There is a picture of her and Merlin on Merlin’s desk. Relief floods through him when he finds out that they’re college friends. He gives Merlin an extra invite to a Wildlife Charity Ball and crosses his fingers.

Merlin brings her to the Ball and he basks in her presence. For once, he doesn’t tell Merlin to shut up. The conversation between the three of them seems to go well so he is disappointed when she suddenly takes her leave. He had hoped she would spend the evening in his company.

His eyes follow her around the room and when she disappears into one of the empty rooms, he decides to follow her. She agrees to a dance. The dance ends in his bedroom.

She is exquisite in his bed, her hair fanned out on the pillow, her breathing slow and steady. It pains him to have to run out on her again but work calls. He leaves his number on another post-it note and asks her to call.

He arrives at work whistling and can’t stop himself from gushing over her to Merlin, who is amused. He doesn’t tell Merlin who she is. He wants to keep that to himself for a while. The rest of the day passes in a blur of happiness and anticipation. He wants to bring her out on a proper date and starts making plans in his head.

She never calls and soon he has run out of excuses for her. He’s never felt so hurt and lost before. Worse, he’s not sure what to do next.

Their next meeting is a surprise. She’s at Merlin’s house warming, a good-looking guy on her arm. He’s never wanted to punch anyone so much before. Still, he smiles and makes polite conversation with Lance and Merlin. It hurts too much to speak to her and he makes the effort to avoid her eyes. His actions are obvious and she excuses herself, her eyes bright. He feels like a heel. Writing her a note, he hopes to soothe things over. He doesn’t want her hating him.

He knows it’s wrong but when he hears she has applied for a position in his company, he has her sent to his office for an interview. Something hums between them and the next thing he knows is that he has her pinned up against his office door, suckling her neck and tearing her clothes off.

When she groans his name, his heart clenches and he knows that she’s the one.

He begs her to leave Lance. Be with me he whispers into her hair. She doesn’t answer.

Real life intrudes and as he attempts to humour the contact in China, she slips from the office, leaving him with a note. Perhaps fate was punishing him. Everything had always come easy to him. He crushes the note and tosses it into the trash can.

Before he leaves for home, he fishes the note out and pockets it. It might be all he’ll ever have of her.

One day, Merlin casually mentions that Lance had left again. He was completely useless at work for the rest of the day.

Nothing has ever made him this nervous. He knocks. A smile blooms on her face when she opens the door and he knows he did the right thing.

Everything changes then. He spends his weekdays in her small apartment. She spends her weekends at his. Life is perfect but there’s a tiny bit of fear in him, like it could all disappear if he pushed too hard. So he never told her how happy she made him and he never told her that he couldn’t imagine a world without her in it.

And while it hurts that she wants to keep their relationship a secret, he lets her. He would do anything as long as she stayed.

Then he woke up one day and she was gone. With dread pooling in his stomach, he read her note.

Dear Arthur, it’s been great but I think it is time that we moved on. This was never meant to last forever. Gwen.

He doesn’t realise he’s crying till the tears smudge the ink on the note. His first reaction is hurt and anger. He feels used and he wants to hurt her as much as she hurt him.

But slowly he remembers how they snuggle together in the dark watching and laughing at silly television shows. He remembers the way she smiles when he comes home at night. He remembers how she listens to him moan about things she has no interest in. He remembers how she learnt to cook beef bournignon when she discovers it’s his favourite meal.

He refuses to believe she doesn’t love him. He just needs to show her he loves her too.

By the time he’s done, he admits it’s cheesy and a little bit silly. In his hand, he clutches the final post-it note.

He waits in her bedroom. Time passes too slowly and he starts to doubt everything. Maybe he was too optimistic. Maybe Lance has returned.

When he hears the door open, he’s convinced himself that she really doesn’t want to be with him and so when she tumbles into the bedroom, tears in her eyes, all he can do is hug her and tell her he’ll leave if she wants. She’s silent except for her sobs and he releases her.

He doesn’t realise he’s dropped the note in his hand till she picks it up. Panicking, he snatches it away.

And then she says it. Wet eyes meet his and she says she loves him. She loves him.

She loves him.

He kisses her. He makes love to her. He asks her to marry him. He’s not sure in what order but nothing matters except she’s not leaving him.


End file.
